Agenda item

The Committee received a report in relation to the Thames Court Footbridge following the decision taken by the Committee on 23 May 2017 that should Transport for London not be willing to accept the vesting of the Thames Court as a highway structure, then the CoL Corporation should take over responsibility for its retention and maintenance.

Officers had now discussed the matter with CBRE Ltd, the agents for the footbridge’s owners, and had reached agreement in principle that the footbridge could be transferred to Transport for London (TfL) or to the CoL Corporation.

Members were advised that TfL officers had subsequently advised that they did not see any great utility in the footbridge given the location of other pedestrian crossing places over Upper Thames Street in the vicinity and that they did not wish to have it vested in Transport for London.  As a result, if the footbridge was to be retained it would need to be vested in the City.

Officers advised that the structure would need to be comprehensively assessed before it could be determined what works needed to be undertaken before it could be safely reopened.  Fees for an inspection for condition and assessment were estimated at £20 000 and they were estimated as taking approximately three months to complete. 

A Member expressed concern at the timescales involved and length of time the footbridge had been closed, and suggested that a more proactive approach should be taken to reopen it as soon as possible.

Other Members stated that significant funds should not be committed to until a full assessment had been undertaken.

RESOLVED – That an inspection for condition and assessment of the Thames Court footbridge be undertaken, and a project be initiated a through the City’s project management procedure to retain, resurface and (if required) strengthen the footbridge.